E3 2004: Interview: Atsushi Inaba

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More talk about Viewtiful Joe 2.

By IGN Staff

Thursday afternoon, IGNcube had a chance to drop by the Capcom's E3 booth for a chat with Atsushi Inaba, producer of Viewtiful Joe 2. Freshly hooked on Viewtiful Joe after playing through the E3 demo, we were ready to talk about the changes Clover Studio made in the VJ formula for Viewtiful Joe 2, the differences between Silvia and Joe, multiplayer, and the age old question -- what's up with Dead Phoenix.

IGN: Were you at surprised by the popularity of Viewtiful Joe?

Atsushi Inaba: To be perfectly honest with you, I was indeed very surprised to see how well it did and that it received so many rewards and such recognition. I was really surprised it did so well.

IGN: How long has this sequel been planned? How long have you been working on it? Did you come up with gameplay ideas that are incorporated in the sequel while making the first game?

Inaba-san: Of course we weren't thinking of Viewtiful Joe 2 while we were making Viewtiful Joe 1. But, we finished Viewtiful Joe 1 around June/July of last year and we started on Viewtiful Joe 2 in August -- so directly after that [finished Viewtiful Joe].

IGN: Does Viewtiful Joe 2 contain gameplay that you wanted to include in Viewtiful Joe 1? Or, are they entirely new ideas thought up after Viewtiful Joe 1 was finished?

Inaba-san: The VFX powers and Silvia as a playable character are something that have been in works for a while, as you know. But to be honest with you, we started everything brand new, from the beginning, for Viewtiful Joe 2.

IGN: Do you consider Viewtiful Joe 2 to be a true sequel or is it just another game in the same series? Has the gameplay evolved at all from the original?

Inaba-san As far as gameplay goes, it's fundamentally similar to Viewtiful Joe 1. I don't mean to say that it's just the next installment or not that big a change. The big difference between the two is the VFX power that's been brought up. You've got slow and mach speed from the other game, but you've also got these new ones. That's a big difference. That's a very big difference. The other thing would be the stage framework is completely new. So, when I speak of evolution, I don't mean it as the next big big jump. It's a process.

IGN: Speaking of VFX powers, we know that replay has been added to the game. Are there any other new VFX abilities?

Inaba-san: Well, you've got the basic zoom, slow, and mach speed from Viewtiful Joe 1, plus this replay. So those are the big ones. In terms of adding more -- there simply aren't enough buttons on the controller. We are thinking of finding different ways to power up these functions and different ways to use them. So in a word yes, but in a different way then you are thinking.

IGN: Could you describe the uses of replay?

Inaba-san: The fundamental way of using VFX replay is to record. You hit replay right before you're about to do something and it records your action. Then you can replay it. You're going to attack an enemy. You'd hit that button, you're rolling [tape], so when you hit that enemy it would increase that damage three times. Similarly, if you're getting hit [you'd take three times the damage]. Or if you got a hamburger that restores your hit points, it'll restore your hit points times three. It's a really interesting new function.

IGN: Have you thought of a lot of new environmental puzzles for the Viewtiful Joe 2? In the E3 demo, you have to shoot a ball of molten rock out of a volcano by slowing down time -- will there be a lot more puzzles that require use of your VFX powers in as a puzzle dynamic?

Inaba-san I don't want to tell you too much about the puzzles because if I do, then you won't have anything to look forward to. I can tell you that there are a whole lot of new kinds of puzzles. Some of them will be very similar to ones you've seen in the past in a very linear way, but also in a very vertical kind of progression as well. The VFX powers will also be used as a way of getting through these puzzles. Again I don't want to tell you too much. I want you to look forward to them.

IGN: Why did you decide to make Silvia a playable character?

Inaba-san: There are a variety of different reasons behind the decision to make her a playable character. One would be the scene at the end of Viewtiful Joe where Silvia transforms and becomes this hero. Another would be our desire to have another character who's playing style, who's fighting style, is different than Joe's. A different sort of gameplay. Also, another inspiration for it would be this hero couple. In Viewtiful Joe 1, Joe is the one hero. In Viewtiful Joe 2, it's this couple. [laughs..] But, that doesn't mean there will be three characters in the third one.